This week will be a big one for For/Sure Productions as we continue to work on Mountainside Mardi Gras, our Red Rocks Fest planned for next August.
We are busy gathering and editing around eight contracts for bands ranging in price from 2k to over $30,000. We have to decide on a marketing plan and time-line and more importantly, whether we are going to hire an outside agency to do advertising or alternatively, take the enormous task on ourselves.
Thankfully, we can draw on experience from within Frogs Gone Fishin' to help ourselves. Two of the playing members and Audio Engineer Jack all went to Belmont U, a music business school in Nashville (where I also attended after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans). I did quite a bit of promoting on the college program board at Tulane, and our drummer, Mark, is highly web savvy.
Austin is still treating us well and my uncle (Colin Jones of the Phat-Tones) is taking us to several clubs around town tonight to play short sets and try and set up gigs for the fall. Colin has played music in Austin on 6th Street for 20+ years, played percussion for all three of our sets last night and is an extra useful musical resource.
We'll stop in Dallas on the way home, before leaving the Texas heat for the 4th in Vail.
Sunday, June 29
Friday, June 27
Phoenix Sun and Austin Lights
It is really funny how, on tour, your view of a city is oftentimes shaped by just a couple hours spent there. Flagstaff, AZ just became one of our favorite places to tour because we had a great night on Tuesday. The bar was crowded, people were dancing and the club owners were extremely nice to us.
Phoenix on Wednesday, on the other hand, saw a really slow night at a bar that was more strip mall than music scene, although we had a couple very awesome fans come out. We finished our set early and cruised through the desert heat overnight on a 1,000 mile trek to Austin for another show last night. Of course nobody in the band will say that they don't like an entire city, just because we had one slow, overly sweaty night there. Then again, while we are deciding where to tour in the fall, our brief memories of places are some of the most salient info we have to work on.
The Phoenix/Flagstaff contrast is one we have seen before with Dallas/Austin and Chicago/surrounding area. There is a tendency to get swallowed in big cities. There are a lot of cool people who are into music in these bigger cities, but they are exposed to much more stimulus all the time. Those who live in smaller towns are more likely to personally connect with your music. And so it is the Boulders, Vails, and Flagstaffs which we will constantly return to on tour.
Last night's venue was very chill, with some of the best looking lights we have seen all tour (hence the name, Light Bar). We are extra excited for our return to Maggie Mae's on Saturday, the rooftop view from the stage is amazing. Texas is good so far, but I know everyone is getting anxious to return to Colorado for our 4th of July show in Vail.
This morning we are working on booking fall tour, and reviewing some contracts for Mountainside Mardi Gras. While we can't tell you any of the bands we have firmed up for next August at Red Rocks, let's just say one's name is Ivan and the other is extra Dirty (and there's twelve of them).
Keep Austin Weird is the slogan here. We'll use our day off today to kick it in the city and find out how weird it gets.
Phoenix on Wednesday, on the other hand, saw a really slow night at a bar that was more strip mall than music scene, although we had a couple very awesome fans come out. We finished our set early and cruised through the desert heat overnight on a 1,000 mile trek to Austin for another show last night. Of course nobody in the band will say that they don't like an entire city, just because we had one slow, overly sweaty night there. Then again, while we are deciding where to tour in the fall, our brief memories of places are some of the most salient info we have to work on.
The Phoenix/Flagstaff contrast is one we have seen before with Dallas/Austin and Chicago/surrounding area. There is a tendency to get swallowed in big cities. There are a lot of cool people who are into music in these bigger cities, but they are exposed to much more stimulus all the time. Those who live in smaller towns are more likely to personally connect with your music. And so it is the Boulders, Vails, and Flagstaffs which we will constantly return to on tour.
Last night's venue was very chill, with some of the best looking lights we have seen all tour (hence the name, Light Bar). We are extra excited for our return to Maggie Mae's on Saturday, the rooftop view from the stage is amazing. Texas is good so far, but I know everyone is getting anxious to return to Colorado for our 4th of July show in Vail.
This morning we are working on booking fall tour, and reviewing some contracts for Mountainside Mardi Gras. While we can't tell you any of the bands we have firmed up for next August at Red Rocks, let's just say one's name is Ivan and the other is extra Dirty (and there's twelve of them).
Keep Austin Weird is the slogan here. We'll use our day off today to kick it in the city and find out how weird it gets.
Tuesday, June 24
Sunny Arizona
Frogs Gone Fishin' crossed our home state border into Arizona, land of cactus and heat. It is very hot here. The club we are playing at in Flagstaff, appropriately named The Green Room, is being very cool to us today.
They fed us dinner and helped us find green-friendly recreational activities. They even hooked us up with an adobe apartment above the club to crash in. No air-conditioning but very gracious of them to say the least.
Planned 1st set for the night:
Crawl*
The Right Side
Hard to Handle (Otis Redding)
Hope You Find It*
Mountains
Put Your Mind on Your Sleeve*
735*>>Gotta Jiboo (Phish)
Life in a Magazine*
I Turned You On (The Isley Bros.)
The Lake
*off the new album
Next: Phoenix, Austin, Vail
They fed us dinner and helped us find green-friendly recreational activities. They even hooked us up with an adobe apartment above the club to crash in. No air-conditioning but very gracious of them to say the least.
Planned 1st set for the night:
Crawl*
The Right Side
Hard to Handle (Otis Redding)
Hope You Find It*
Mountains
Put Your Mind on Your Sleeve*
735*>>Gotta Jiboo (Phish)
Life in a Magazine*
I Turned You On (The Isley Bros.)
The Lake
*off the new album
Next: Phoenix, Austin, Vail
Sunday, June 22
Lucky Gas and Arizona
Right after I wrote my last post via Crackberry while riding in the packed Tourmobile, we ran out of gas. At the top of steep and rocky Keebler Pass near Crested Butte in Colorado, we had no problem getting down the mountain. We coasted and coasted, passing bikers and bison, waiting for the road to flatten and our eventual fight against inertia.
The steep grade of the road gave way to valley highway and things looked desperate. The town of Crested Butte appeared below us and the highway led directly into town from the hills. Good thing, as our set was a mere hour away, and any uphill road would have foiled our efforts to make it on time. The townsfolk were not please as we proceeded to blow five stop signs in a row, asking passerby about the location of the nearest gasoline.
Just as the Tourmobile was about to lose all momentum and cease to move, a Phillips 66 appeared on the right. We rejoiced in the parking lot and caused a commotion while we filled our 42-gallon tank ($153).
After playing the Fat Tire Festival, we scored an unplanned gig in town at a local bar in return for free dinner and beer. We set up a tent in the national forest for lack of an open hotel when we were done, and set off for Durango in the morning.
After playing at the Steamworks Brewing Co. last night (excellent IPA's), we are contemplating what to do with our whole two days off! We are in Flagstaff on Tuesday night so we figure we will camp tonight in southern CO and head to the Grand Canyon for some spelunking tomorrow in Arizona.
Other than the stress of calling booking agents and managers for Mountainside Mardi Gras next year, tour is fun and easy.
The steep grade of the road gave way to valley highway and things looked desperate. The town of Crested Butte appeared below us and the highway led directly into town from the hills. Good thing, as our set was a mere hour away, and any uphill road would have foiled our efforts to make it on time. The townsfolk were not please as we proceeded to blow five stop signs in a row, asking passerby about the location of the nearest gasoline.
Just as the Tourmobile was about to lose all momentum and cease to move, a Phillips 66 appeared on the right. We rejoiced in the parking lot and caused a commotion while we filled our 42-gallon tank ($153).
After playing the Fat Tire Festival, we scored an unplanned gig in town at a local bar in return for free dinner and beer. We set up a tent in the national forest for lack of an open hotel when we were done, and set off for Durango in the morning.
After playing at the Steamworks Brewing Co. last night (excellent IPA's), we are contemplating what to do with our whole two days off! We are in Flagstaff on Tuesday night so we figure we will camp tonight in southern CO and head to the Grand Canyon for some spelunking tomorrow in Arizona.
Other than the stress of calling booking agents and managers for Mountainside Mardi Gras next year, tour is fun and easy.
Friday, June 20
First Leg
I'm writing this post from the car as we head into the mountains to play the Fat Tire Bike Festival.
We have four band members, a road manager, Jack, and a camera dude, Brian. Last night we saw our friends from New Orleans, Papa Grows Funk rip it up at the Fox theater. We packed up the '94 Suburban and trailer and headed out.
It's pretty packed in this cabin with camera equipment and our Vitamin Energy Sponsorship product (mmm...), not to mention our musical equipment and personal stuff. Tour is still awesome and the mountains are beautiful. More to come when I can type on something other than a handheld.
We have four band members, a road manager, Jack, and a camera dude, Brian. Last night we saw our friends from New Orleans, Papa Grows Funk rip it up at the Fox theater. We packed up the '94 Suburban and trailer and headed out.
It's pretty packed in this cabin with camera equipment and our Vitamin Energy Sponsorship product (mmm...), not to mention our musical equipment and personal stuff. Tour is still awesome and the mountains are beautiful. More to come when I can type on something other than a handheld.
Friday, June 13
MOUNTAIN FROGS
Things are in full swing on tour with Frogs Gone Fishin'. We are on the fourth show of our 30+ date tour, in Vail, Colorado. Vail is a picturesque place, perfect for creativity and making music.
We have several exciting projects we are working on including:
-really cool t-shirts with Frogs on them that Mark(drums) is designing
-a couple gigs with a special New Orleans' artist in the Fall
-more gigs in the South and on the East Coast for September/October
-Some Mountain Jam, a festival in South Park, Colorado on July 12/13 w/ our friends Hustle, only $10 for camping, music and recreation :-)
-releasing an album on Tuesday at the Wash Park Grille in Denver
-4th of July in Vail with our disco buddies Hustle
The band would like to make a shout out to all our friends (bands and fans) who are at Bonnaroo this weekend, we know you are having fun and make sure to check out the New Orleans stage!
If you are in the mountain area, check http://www.frogsgonefishin.com for dates this weekend, and we'll see you at the show!
-Mark, P-Woo, Steve and Trevor
We have several exciting projects we are working on including:
-really cool t-shirts with Frogs on them that Mark(drums) is designing
-a couple gigs with a special New Orleans' artist in the Fall
-more gigs in the South and on the East Coast for September/October
-Some Mountain Jam, a festival in South Park, Colorado on July 12/13 w/ our friends Hustle, only $10 for camping, music and recreation :-)
-releasing an album on Tuesday at the Wash Park Grille in Denver
-4th of July in Vail with our disco buddies Hustle
The band would like to make a shout out to all our friends (bands and fans) who are at Bonnaroo this weekend, we know you are having fun and make sure to check out the New Orleans stage!
If you are in the mountain area, check http://www.frogsgonefishin.com for dates this weekend, and we'll see you at the show!
-Mark, P-Woo, Steve and Trevor
Saturday, June 7
TOUR SEASON
We had an awesome tour kick-off last night at the Walnut Room in Denver. The club was recently named "best live sound in town", and we couldn't agree with the honor more. Check out the set list at the bottom.
Tonight we are playing in Colorado Springs at a club we've never played at before, but first, we'll groove down at one of our favorite outdoor festivals,
The Denver People's Fair this afternoon.
People's Fair embodies what we love about Colorado. There is great food, beer, and lots of beautiful people walking around. The city blocks off several major streets downtown and puts stages where traffic should be. It is an awesome temporary suspension of city life in the name of music and art.
I've often wondered if Denver and New Orleans could be any more different. People's Fair is about the closest to the outdoor-style festivals New Orleans is famous for. Where Denver shines in healthy outdoor living, New Orleans proposes a late-night strategy of bon vivant: buttery foods and much to drink. Denver is clean, New Orleans is dirty. Denver is efficient, New Orleans laid back. Girls in Denver love hiking. Girls in New Orleans are bootylicious.
The fact that People's Fair is a free event however, demonstrates that there are probably more commonalties than I realize. These similarities really break down to the people that live in both towns. The people in both New Orleans and Denver love music and enjoy having a good time with those who surround them. Sorry NY and LA, but some people in your cities are kind of angry and anxious. Cities like Denver/Boulder, San Fransisco, Austin and New Orleans have people who realize that life is not just about the rat race, its about enjoying the sounds around you.
FGF - Walnut Room 6/6/08
I: Crawl>>Hope You Find It
Mexico>>China Cat Sunflower>>Mexico
Tell Me True>>Imagine
Nepic>>PYMOYS
Wake
Life in a Magazine
Tonight we are playing in Colorado Springs at a club we've never played at before, but first, we'll groove down at one of our favorite outdoor festivals,
The Denver People's Fair this afternoon.
People's Fair embodies what we love about Colorado. There is great food, beer, and lots of beautiful people walking around. The city blocks off several major streets downtown and puts stages where traffic should be. It is an awesome temporary suspension of city life in the name of music and art.
I've often wondered if Denver and New Orleans could be any more different. People's Fair is about the closest to the outdoor-style festivals New Orleans is famous for. Where Denver shines in healthy outdoor living, New Orleans proposes a late-night strategy of bon vivant: buttery foods and much to drink. Denver is clean, New Orleans is dirty. Denver is efficient, New Orleans laid back. Girls in Denver love hiking. Girls in New Orleans are bootylicious.
The fact that People's Fair is a free event however, demonstrates that there are probably more commonalties than I realize. These similarities really break down to the people that live in both towns. The people in both New Orleans and Denver love music and enjoy having a good time with those who surround them. Sorry NY and LA, but some people in your cities are kind of angry and anxious. Cities like Denver/Boulder, San Fransisco, Austin and New Orleans have people who realize that life is not just about the rat race, its about enjoying the sounds around you.
FGF - Walnut Room 6/6/08
I: Crawl>>Hope You Find It
Mexico>>China Cat Sunflower>>Mexico
Tell Me True>>Imagine
Nepic>>PYMOYS
Wake
Life in a Magazine
Wednesday, June 4
For/Sure
We here at For/Sure Productions are on pins and needles today as we wait for word on whether or not we have secured a venue for the festival we plan on organizing next year.
The venue, Red Rocks Amphitheater, is one of the premier outdoor venues in the US.
Promoting is a scary venture sometimes. It involves a lot of waiting and timing and patience. There are only a few large companies who control the entire market, and they don't want anyone else cramping their style (profit).
I'd love to share all the details of our festival. But, you might work for one of those companies.
I already told you where it's going to be. But until we hear back from those people, no juicy gossip allowed.
The venue, Red Rocks Amphitheater, is one of the premier outdoor venues in the US.
Promoting is a scary venture sometimes. It involves a lot of waiting and timing and patience. There are only a few large companies who control the entire market, and they don't want anyone else cramping their style (profit).
I'd love to share all the details of our festival. But, you might work for one of those companies.
I already told you where it's going to be. But until we hear back from those people, no juicy gossip allowed.
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